The Washington Redskins had not fired head coach Mike Shanahan as of Monday afternoon, but according to a report in the Washington Post, the franchise may be checking into the possibility of doing so while avoiding paying the remainder of his contract.

An unnamed source told The Post that there were “a number of things” on the table concerning Shanahan’s future. One of them is the notion of dismissing him for cause, claiming he violated his contract, which runs through the 2014 season. With three games left this season, the Redskins are 3-10, the second-worst record in the NFL.

The Post report indicated that the Redskins could contend that Shanahan was behind Sunday’s report on ESPN that he had considered quitting last season, and had cleaned out his office before January’s wild-card loss to Seattle. The ESPN report pointed to Shanahan’s discomfort with the cozy relationship between owner Dan Snyder—who hired Shanahan in 2010 and gave him a five-year, $35 million contract—and quarterback Robert Griffin III.

The report also raised the possibility of the team waiting to see if Shanahan resigned, in which case they would not have to pay the rest of his contract. “It could be a stare-down over the money,’’ the source told the Post.

It would not be the first time either the Redskins or Shanahan have gotten into conflicts with other parties over paying contracts. When the Raiders fired him four games into his second season as coach in 1989, Shanahan and owner Al Davis fought for decades afterward over money Shanahan said he was owed.

In 2010, the Redskins suspended Albert Haynesworth for the last four games and looked into revoking the rest of his contract. He was traded before the 2011 season.

In his weekly Monday post-game press conference, Shanahan deflected several questions about the ESPN report and his relationship with Snyder. He was asked twice, about 10 minutes apart, whether he wanted to return as coach next season; he first said he did not want to discuss anything besides Sunday’s game at Atlanta, but later said, “I want to come back; you always want to come back.’’

Shanahan did say his relationship with Snyder is “good,’’ but refused to comment on the report that he was the source of the story about him nearly quitting last year.